Chapter 2: 1 - The binding ritual
I slowly open my eyes, my eyelids feel as heavy as if they had been sealed shut for centuries. What... what happened? How did I end up here? The moment I try to recall what happened before I blacked out, a sharp pain stabs through my head. My memories are a chaotic blur, and my entire body feels like it's screaming in agony. Yet somehow, I am alive. Not just alive—it's like I've been supercharged, as if I could run a hundred laps around a field without stopping, damn the pain.
When I finally manage to open my eyes fully, I freeze in shock. I'm in what looks like a chamber in a medieval castle: walls of dark gray stone, a huge canopy bed with translucent red curtains matching the sheets and the banners on the walls. And... wait... I'm completely naked?! Is this heaven? Judging by the eerie atmosphere, this place feels more like hell. What did I do to deserve eternal damnation?!
«Finally awake, sleepyhead.» A soft, melodic female voice floats toward me from behind the curtains. The room is dimly lit, bathed in a pale silver glow streaming through the windows—probably moonlight.
With a swift motion, I pull the curtain aside and... I see her. Sitting in an armchair not far from the bed is a completely naked girl, her legs elegantly crossed and a golden goblet in her hand. The goblet contains a red liquid resembling wine. Her long, wavy black hair with purple highlights frames her face, her eyes shining with a sinister red glow.
«W-Who are you?!» I stammer, frantically pulling the sheet over myself.
She places the goblet on the armrest of the chair and stands up gracefully. The shadows in the room seem to swirl around her, coalescing into a sleek, elegant black dress that hugs her sinuous curves and ample chest.
«Forgive me, I forgot that nudity is still a source of discomfort in the human world. Your way of thinking is so outdated...» she says, her voice tinged with resignation.
The human world? And that trick with the shadows to create her dress? Yeah, she's got to be the devil, and this is definitely the antechamber of hell.
She approaches the bed and sits beside me. «I am Ayra Valakys, sixth daughter of Drakhul Valakys, ruler of the kingdom of Mildelar. And I am a vampire.» She delivers the introduction with such natural elegance it feels like a rehearsed performance.
«I'm Lyon—» I freeze, only now processing the weight of her words. «Wait, WHAT?!» Kingdom? Vampires? What kind of twisted story is this? Wasn't life already confusing enough? Did it really need to get this chaotic even after death?
«Lyon... Valakys. Yes, that sounds quite fitting,» she says with a pleased smile.
«My last name isn't Valakys!» I retort, clearly annoyed. «And don't you think you owe me some kind of explanation?!»
I try to sound calm, but the whole situation feels surreal. And her... she's stunning, more beautiful than anyone I've ever seen. No matter how hard I try, my eyes keep wandering to her plunging neckline.
«Before you died, you said you'd do anything to save yourself, didn't you?» she asks, completely ignoring my discomfort.
«Yeah... I think so. Maybe I said something like that,» I reply, my memories slowly coming into focus. A woman... with black hair and blood-red eyes, watching me as I was about to die. Now that I think about it, she looked exactly like her! But I was still alive then... wasn't I?
«And I granted your wish. Well, almost. You're dead—your body is still lying in that forest—but I saved your soul before it disappeared into oblivion. Now you're here, with your memories intact and your body reconstructed from the impressions left on your soul,» she explains, her ruby-like eyes locking onto mine.
«And tell me, why would you go through all this trouble? And why were you naked too?!» My voice shakes increasingly with a mix of fear and confusion.
«To put it simply, I brought you back to life as my familiar. For that, I had to perform the binding ritual, which requires both participants to be naked and in close contact for about two hours. This allows my energy to flow into you through your skin. From now on, as my familiar, you'll have two main duties: to serve as my source of nourishment when I need blood and—more importantly—to act as my human fighter.»
I'm speechless, my mind overwhelmed by everything she just said. Wait a second—she's saying that... for two whole hours, her naked, sensual body was pressed against mine, and I can't remember a thing?! Life really isn't fair!
«Human fighter...?» I echo, completely baffled, momentarily setting aside my regret.
«The primary form of entertainment for vampire nobles is human combat. Each vampire sends their familiar into battles against others. It's not so different from combat sports in your world.»
«So, in other words... I'm just your toy?»
«Exactly, I see you're quick to catch on,» she replies with a near-sadistic smile.
«No way!» I exclaim, folding my arms in defiance.
«Do you really think you're in a position to disobey your mistress, huh...? Punishment!»
With those words, she snaps her fingers, and my entire body is instantly consumed by excruciating pain. It starts at my neck and spreads through my head and limbs like an electric shock. Every cell in my body feels like it's on fire, and gut-wrenching screams tear out of me as I fall off the bed, curling up on the floor in a fetal position.
I want to curse in every way imaginable, but my mouth is paralyzed by the agony.
She snaps her fingers again.
I brace for more pain, but to my surprise, the snap conjures a small round mirror that hovers in the air in front of me. In the reflection, I see a black mark encircling my neck, like a tattooed collar. It doesn't take long to figure out that the unbearable pain came from there. It's like an electrified collar—like the ones used to train dogs. In other words, I'm her personal pitbull, meant to fight other 'dogs'. And to think I was afraid of ending up in hell... now I'm terrified I've landed somewhere even worse.
«I trust it's now clear who's in charge, Lyon,» she says, extending her hand toward me. Her reassuring smile sharply contrasts with the cruelty she displayed just moments ago. «Come on, it's time for your match to begin.»